A Rose for the Souls of the Innocent
by RizuMcButt
Summary: What would have happened if Ryou had NOT be able to betray his Yami? If the duel had not ended prematurely, and the Ring's spirit had NOT been banished? And what will Bakura do now, with the power of two Sennen Items?
1. Prologue Part I

****

A Rose for the Souls of the Innocent

Prologue:

The First Steps of a Marathon

****

Disclaimer: Uuuuugggg…. I hate these things. If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, would I be writing about it under fanfiction? Schmoo… I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. There, I said it. Be happy. Breh

****

Quick A's A Notes: I have wondered lately, how this duel would have gone had Ryou not betrayed his Yami, if the ancient spirit of the Sennen Puzzle had not cheated. And this is the result. This is a really long chapter, and the rest will not be like this. I just want to get this particular duel out of the way, but to do that I actually have to write about it, 'cause it would make no sense otherwise

So, you have come for a story, have you? Well my friends, sit back and relax, and I will tell you a grand tale; one of pride, pain, and dominance. Sound interesting? Good, good. Well now, how does it go? Ah yes, it all begins with a simple duel…

I grin with malicious satisfaction as I draw the card from the top of the pile. Now the duel belongs to me. I look up from the card I hold and back at the ancient spirit that sits across from me. Now, Yuugi, prepare to be eliminated!" I cry, putting the proper amount of malice into my voice. Oh Rah, how I will enjoy putting the arrogant pharaoh in his place. 

His doomed friends exclaim among themselves, but I don't care. Now they are no more than simple Duel Monsters to me. I had given them a chance to live, to escape this ordeal unscathed but for their imprisonment in the Shadow Realm. Yes, I had given them a chance to be free, but the spirit of the Sennen Puzzle had taken it away from them. Now they would pay for his folly with their lives

I didn't particularly enjoy this kind of death, no, what would give you that idea? I feel sympathy for the friends of the foolish pharaoh, but nothing can be done. They are pawns in my game. I regret having to use them, for sure, but it is inescapable. They are the sacrifice for the greater good. Well, in a way. So what if that 'greater good' happens to be my releasing the dark powers? Anyway, back to the duel.

I allow myself a dark chuckle as I set the card face-down on the field. Already I can see my pet's glowing red eyes glaring out from the cage of its card's position: evaluating its prey probably. 

Little Yuugi and his friends, way down below us, mutter foolish things to each other, but nothing they can think of can possibly save them. Nothing will affect the outcome of this duel; it has been predetermined by forces greater than myself. (Yes, there _are_ forces greater than myself, though they are few and far between.)

"In one turn," I inform 'Big Yuugi', "I will activate this card. And then there will be nothing you can do. The game, as well as your Puzzle, will be mine."

The spirit glares at me with his unnerving crimson eyes, but I am unaffected. How could I be? I am about to win! 

He draws a card for his turn and lays it in the magic and trap zone, but plays no other monsters. And he keeps his mouth shut. I must admit, this surprises me. In all other duels I have watched the oaf couldn't keep his mouth shut. Half the time he as good as gave away his strategy. Perhaps he has learned to play smart?

No, I think, that couldn't be. He must simply have nothing to brag about. Yes, that must be it. Maybe his much-loved "Heart of the Cards" has failed him? I laugh to myself. That must be it. The fool should know that one cannot depend on a group of inanimate objects to win a game. That must be determined by skill, not luck. And skill, in my humble opinion, is one field that he is sorely lacking in. 

"Your move," is all he says. I am relieved. Probably most of his opponents loose because they are talked to death. 

Still smiling, mainly because I know it disconcerts my enemies even more, I play my card. 

"Man-Eater Bug!" I cry as I flip my card up, and I relish the calls of surprise and fear my monster elicits from the mortals on the field as it obeys my summons and climbs onto the plane. "Attack…"

I think for a moment now. My enemy currently has four monsters on the field; the Flaming Swordsman, the Cyber Commander, the Magician of Faith, and the Black Magician. I could attack this last one, destroy it with my monster's effect, but what of the Magician of Faith? She too has an effect. Though not nearly as useful as my pet's, it was still to be considered. 

She, if she even knows how to activate it, has to ability to bring back one magic card from the graveyard. Not too impressive, no, but the spirit will doubtless use it to re-play the Monster Reborn card, which he had so foolishly wasted on one of his friends earlier. In any case, that would _not_ do. But on the other hand, if I take the Magician of Faith, what about the Black Magician? He still has an attack of 2500. 

My attention snaps back to the duel where the humans are now discussing which of them will sacrifice themselves to destroy my monster. Silly humans. Do they not know that _I _get to choose which dies? Well, I do not plan on waiting around for them to reach a decision. Quickly I pick up my command where I left off.

"Attack the Magician of Faith!" Single-mindedly, my pet starts forward, its beady eyes focused on the girl. This is not as enjoyable as I lead the pharaoh and his friends to believe. I will have to take her life through my monster. That will only cause more pain in the world, and to know that I am responsible for it… 

But I cannot let on that I suffer from empathy. If I know the sprit, he will take advantage of the weakness, so I must steel my heart against what is about to come. 

The boy, Jounouchi, dressed in the garb of his favorite monster, the Flaming Swordsman, rushes forward to try and stop my creature's advance, but it only shrugs him off like a horse to a fly. 

As the Flaming Swordsman is flung aside, the Cyber Commander, Honda, tries next. He throws himself onto my Man-Eater Bug, but his attack is as fruitless as the last. 

I shoot a glance at Hikari Yuugi, as he with the power of the Black Magician is the only one capable of halting my attack, but he seems frozen in place. Whether out of fear, shock, or simply the lingering affects of his foolish attack on my Electric Lizard I do not know, but either way works in my advantage. 

The girl, Anzu, opens her mouth to scream as my monster comes even closer, but does not run. Has she accepted her fate? No, mortals do not give up so easily. She must be too terrified to move. 

Ah, it has been a long while since I have had the opportunity to exercise my strengths so, and I have forgotten how good it feels to have others quaking in my presence. Ever felt that? No? Hmm, I suggest you try it sometime. It is quite a rewarding experience. 

Back to the story. Where was I? Ah, yes, the girl. 

My pet draws closer, he is almost near enough to reach out and touch her with a foreleg, but he waits. I smile. It has been a long time for him too, and obviously he is enjoying his freedom. 

She turns away now, as if to run, but there is nowhere to go. 

Yuugi, the one on the field that is, reaches out a shaking hand as he stares at the drama unfolding before him. I flinch, thinking that he is forming a Black Magic attack, but it seems nothing more than an involuntary reaction to seeing a friend killed. I breathe a slight sigh of relief. There will be no threat from _that_ Yuugi. 

My gaze goes now to the other Yami present. He regards the playing field with narrowed crimson eyes, a ruler calmly observing the suffering of his subjects. 

My mind shoots back briefly to another time, a distant one, so long ago that it cannot be comprehended by mortal minds. A leader… no, a tyrant ruled over the people in those times… of course he would not remember it now, but I do. I remember every torture, every death, every needless sacrifice in his name. But it does not matter now. Now I will destroy the girl, no more, no less. 

Briefly my monster glances back at me as it hovers on the edge of lunging forward at Anzu. Its red eyes seek out mine, and it seems to question me, making sure this is the target I want. I nod, and it turns back to Anzu.

But by now there has been enough waiting. Still ignoring the repetitive attempts of Jounouchi and Honda's, it jumps forward, and in one swift action, takes the Magician of Faith. 

There is no blood of course. She is now a Duel Monster. I believe there is no pain either, though I wouldn't know. The single slash crosses her chest, extending down to her waist. It glows slightly, and as she looks around at her friends with horrified azure eyes, the glow spreads to the rest of her body until she is engulfed in the pearly light. 

With a final, piercing scream, her body shatters into countless pieces, and each piece in turn breaking into thousands more until nothing remains. 

The girl, Anzu, is no more.

****

TBC…


	2. Prologue Part II

****

A Rose for the Souls of the Innocent

Prologue:

The First Steps of a Marathon 

I feel a twinge of regret, but I remind myself that it is for the better. And perhaps, if all goes according to plan, I can go back and revive her soul. But now I must harden my heart. 

Back down on the field, the Man-Eater Bug looks around smugly, licks its claw, and retreats back to rest on its card. I smile briefly at it, but my attention is turned elsewhere at the sound of a loud cry from below me. 

It is little Yuugi; he seems to have regained his mobility. I can see tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill over onto his flushed cheeks. Slowly his devastated gaze finds its way up to mine. I meet it unflinchingly. If I give in now I will surely be defeated. I keep my face stony.

"You… you are a monster! You killed her!"

Inwardly I cringe at this accusation, partly because I know it is true. 

__

Keep the mask on… keep the mask…

I smile coldly. "Have no worries little Yuugi, you will be next. And your little friends after that. So you will all be together soon."

Yuugi's eyes widen, and he looks up at the Pharaoh for reassurance. The boy flashes a quick 'thumbs up' at him, but doesn't look at him. "Don't listen to him Yuugi, he cannot win."

I laugh at this, at the obvious falsehood. "On the contrary, my friend, I am going to win. It is you who has no hope! For now I play…"

Still smiling, I pull the Change of Heart from my hand and lay it in the trap and magic zone. I stop to wonder briefly, what will happen when I play it. This is my soul-vessel's favorite card. Does that mean he will appear on the field as the others have? I rather hope not, for I wouldn't want any harm to come to my own Hikari. But don't think I've gone soft. Oh, no! I simply don't want him whole body I use to be damaged. That is all. 

"… The Change of Heart card!" I finish, as I lay it down, face up. The card shimmers, and a form appears out of the light. A white robe take shape; two wings, one feathered and the other webbed; and then a face appears. A pale face, outlined in long white hair. 

I hold back my disappointment. It is Ryou, and now he will have to be exposed to this. I had hoped to keep him from the sight of having his friends destroyed, but no such luck. But it is done, and now I must make do, and most importantly show no weakness or hesitation. 

Ryou blinks in bewilderment as he looks around at his surroundings, but he refrains from making any pathetically stupid comments as the others had. He takes it all in, first Yuugi and the others, dressed in their Duel Monster garb, then the giant Pharaoh across from him, and finally me. 

When his dark eyes reach my own, I see only sadness in them. No confusion, no anger, just a quiet acceptance. He knows what I am doing, and knows he cannot stop me. He slowly turns back to the others on the opposite of him and is silent in response to their gasps and exclamations. 

Looking back down at my hand, I lay down two more cards. A Remove Trap in the trap and magic zone, and my Lady of Faith in the monster zone. She materializes prettily, standing silent and calm in her blue robes and decorated crown. But for the moment I ignore her; my move lays in the Change of He--or rather, Ryou's ability now. 

"Change of Heart," I say, my voice almost echoing with sinister joy, "Take the Black Magician!"

He turns to look at me again, pleading silently with those dark, tortured eyes. I meet his gaze boldly. He must do this for me, this one thing. Somehow he understands, and he nods sadly. "Yes, Yami." 

Across the field the Yuugi and the others cry for him to ignore me, to do what he will, but I pay them no mind, and neither does he. Or does he?

Looking closer at my host's soul, I see indecision lurking in his features. Can he possibly be thinking of betraying me? His own Yami? I must stop him before he makes a fatal error! 

I reach out with my mind and establish a link between our minds. 

__

No Ryou! I immediately cry. He jumps with surprise and looks at me, and I know he heard my voice. _Ryou, do not betray me! You do, and I swear by Set I will make your life a living Hell._

Still I feel the indecision, the uncertainty. I must change his mind! 

__

Ryou, I continue, more gently this time. Maybe threatening him is not the best way to go about this. _Please, think about what you are doing. If I loose, the Pharaoh will banish me to the Shadow Realm. It is not a possibility, it is a fact._

But… you would hurt Yuugi and the others… His tentative voice reaches me, and I am surprised he found the will power to send his thoughts to me. 

__

No, my Hikari. I promise, as soon as I have accomplished my goals I will bring them back. And in the meantime no harm shall befall them. I should know, I spent over five millennia in the Shadow Realm. 

I feel a sense of questioning through the link, but I refuse to go into further detail about me. Right now I have a duel to win. 

__

Ryou, you will take the Black Magician? You will not betray me? 

I feel unhappy confirmation. Good, I know I can trust my Light's word. 

Slowly the image of Ryou in his Change of Heart garments vanish from the field, and a slight mist travels to the other side, towards Yuugi. The tri-colored boy's eyes widen, and he looks up at the Pharaoh above him, but the Pharaoh does nothing. Only looks at me, an unreadable expression in his crimson eyes. Good, at least my opponent does not entertain any thoughts of trying to evade my Aibou's effect. This is a game. There are rules. 

Yuugi's friends cry out in horror as their friend's eyes widen, then go blank. It is a look I have seen many times before, unfortunately. The eyes lose the spark of live, appear to be those of a dead man's. But Yuugi is not dead, he is only under my control, through Ryou of course. Quickly my own Hikari's features replace those of the Pharaoh's, and in only a matter of seconds, it is Ryou in the Black Magician's clothes. He keeps his head lowered, does not look at those he had called friends that stare at him in shock. I need no magic to know what they are thinking now, it is clear on their dumbstruck faces. They may as well be speaking aloud, 'Ryou, what have you done?' 'How could you have betrayed us, Ryou?' 'Why do you side with that… _monster_, Ryou?' 

I snarl at them internally. Soon I will divert their accusing glares away from my Hikari. I will teach them what is worthy of those murderous looks! Because by the time they learn, they can spend all the time they want glaring at the Shadow Realm. How can Ryou think these ignorant fools are worthy of his friendship? But, oh well. I turn my mind back to the game. 

"Now Ryou, why don't you come back to my side of the field?" I ask, gloating in front of Yuugiou my victory. 

He nods meekly, head still bowed, and shuffles over to stand next to the Lady of Faith. Good, my Hikari. Now, attack the Flaming Swordsman!"

Jounouchi blanches at this. "No!" he cries, as if he could stop the coming attack, "Ryou, don't do it! It's not too late, screw that bastard and help us! We're your friends!"

I feel Ryou's decision start to waver, and quickly I reopen the mental link. 

__

Ryou, do not listen to him! He is not really your friend! And, surely you cannot betray your own Yami? Just as I would never betray you, my Light, so must you disregard this imbecile's words. I feel Ryou give in again, and smile to myself. Excellent. I knew he would work for me. 

****

TBC…


	3. Prologue Part III

****

A Rose for the Souls of the Innocent

Prologue:

The First Steps of a Marathon

Ryou raises his hand, preparing to shatter Jounouchi's Duel Monster body with a magical attack. At the last possible moment, he looks up, snowy lock falling away from the deep chocolate orbs, and it is only then that I notice the crystalline tears trekking slowly down his cheeks. I feel a swift pang of guilt for putting him through this, but it is unavoidably if I am to win this duel. And this duel had become more than a game, much is on the line. Perhaps even my own life. For whatever it is worth. 

"Katsuya Jounouchi, please forgive me." 

An instant later, the black rippling energy pours forth out of his palm, cackling a burning path towards the stricken blonde. 

The explosive, deadly bolt hits him square in the quest, and without a sound, his body breaks into the thousands of pieces that had been Anzu's fate. In that single instant, Jounouchi is no more. His soul rests with his friend's in the graveyard. I sigh to myself. More killing, more death, even if they will be resurrected when I achieve my goal. 

Honda stares in shock at the spot his best friend had last stood. Slowly he turns his gaze to Ryou, and then to me. I cannot accurately describe to you what that look was to me. I cannot sufficiently explain the tremendous horror he conveyed in the one glance, for it was then that he decided that I had no soul. It was then he that he decided I was truly a monster; a living, breathing vampire, right out of the movies. There are simply no words in my language, or any other, I'm sure, that I could use to tell you what a mother-fucking, heartless bastard he made me feel like. 

But I cannot dwell on the details, not when I am so close to winning the match. I look away from Honda, the only Duel Monster on the Pharaoh's field now. 

"Lady of Faith," it is a difficult task to keep my voice from breaking, but somehow I manage. 

__

Show no feeling… no emotion at all. Keep the mask. 

"Attack the Cyber Commander." 

Honda does not struggle as he leaves the field. He does not cry out as Anzu had done. But now I wish that he had. Anything would have been better than that steady look. That horrible look. That look that will haunt me forever. 

Slowly the boy fades from sight, and Yuugiou's field is left completely empty. It is his turn now, I can do no more. 

I look at him and tell him so, but he is not worried about the duel right now. 

"You really are a monster," he says, voice calm, as if he were commenting on the clouds in the sky. "To do such terrible things to innocents, and all for power. You really are a monster." 

"Enough!" I snap, "It is your turn! Unless you wish to forfeit the game. In which case the victory is mine." 

"No, I will go."

Without further comment, he lays down a single card in face-down defense the monster zone, and looks back at me. "Your move."

I stare at the card, pushing all other thoughts from my mind, save those of the game. That card could not be a strong one, else he would play it in attack mode. That must mean it is weak. Weak enough for the Lady of Faith to destroy? Because if it is, I will use the Black Magician to end the duel. I decide to take the chance. 

"Lady of Faith, attack the face-down card." 

She moves forward, the same serene expression on her cold face. Outstretching her hands, a light cloud moves toward the card. When it reaches the hidden monster, a trilling is heard, and the Kuriboh pops up, looking surprised, before it explodes: the Pharaoh's last defenses. 

I chuckle to myself. "Now Ryou, end the duel for me--Attack his life points directly!" 

He looks up at me once, but he seems to be too far to care now. Nodding slightly, he raises his hand, once again summoning the dark powers of the Black Magician. Dark light gathers on his outstretched palm, and in a flash, races towards the Yami. 

In envelops him, draining him of the rest of his life points. He bares the attack without complaint, only keeping those crimson eyes locked on my own. 

When the last of his life points are gone, wasted by the ravages of the attack, he bows his head, not in pain, but defeat. 

"You have won, Bakura's Yami, but I can assure you, you will not triumph. I was given the task of guarding the Sennen Items, and guard them I will, no matter if I hid inside the Sennen Puzzle, or lurk in the Shadow Realm, I will keep you from the Sennen Magic!" 

"Enough, Pharaoh!" I snarl, left in a foul mood from the duel, "Give me the Puzzle, or I will take it myself!" 

With obvious regret and reluctance, Yuugiou removes the golden pyramid from around his neck and hands it to me. "You may have won for now, but remember, I will be back, and then you will receive your just punishment!" 

"Fine, fine. Whatever you say." I snatch the Puzzle eagerly from his hands. At last it is mine. At long, long last. It feels cool in my hands, and it chinks hollowly as I lift it around my own next. 

"Now, Pharaoh, I ban you to the Shadow Realm!" 

Laughing to myself, I bring Ryou and myself back to Duelist Kingdom. As trees replace the eerie shadows around me, I feel those crimson eyes still on me, silently accusing. But it does not matter anymore. For these are only the first steps of a marathon… 

There… It's still TBC, but now the prologue is OVER! Yeah! Please review, and I shall write more!


	4. Chapter I: Beware the Morning Wrath

****

A Rose for the Souls of the Innocent

Chapter One: 

Beware the Morning Wrath

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Yuugiou. The creepy man that tells me to rule China--it belongs to him. I mean Takahashi Kazuki. .

~*~*~

Ryou Bakura looked around at the four scattered forms that lay in haphazard piles near him. He did not appear remorseful, regretful, or any of those emotions humans who have done something bad tend to feel. But then, he didn't really look human at the moment either. 

His eyes narrowed haughtily as they fell onto the fallen form of Yuugi Motou. The boy lay there, innocently, as though sleeping. But if he were sleeping, he would not wake up for a long time. No, this was a magical sleep, brought on by the power of a thousand-year-old Egyptian ring, and he was not likely to recover soon. 

With a satisfied nod, the white haired boy turned to disappear into the forest, leaving the bodies to be discovered by some unlucky young duelist. He had important things to do now, and the most urgent was to sleep. 

He sneered at the notion, but he knew it was necessary. He had nearly exhausted his mental powers maintaining monsters in the Shadow Realm. If he was going to work his way to Pegasus's castle for the Sennen Eye, he would have to be at full-strength. 

Finding a spot far away from the others, he lay down on the damp leaves and tried to sleep. The dark one inside the boy immediately fell into slumber; hard years had taught him to take sleep where he could find it; but the Hikari was not so lucky. He lay staring at the stars for what seemed like hours, wondering what he had done. 

How could he have betrayed the only ones that had ever found it in their hearts to be nice to the strange, pale loner? He felt awful. He shook his head and rolled over, making a pillow of his arms, and slowly drifted away. 

~*~*~

The next morning, Pegasus Crawford awoke with an odd tingling in the Sennen Eye. He sat up in his lavish bed, rubbing the metal eye uncomfortably. Something was wrong terribly wrong. Something had gone awry in his plans. 

He shook his head and rubbed his forehead now. Where was this feeling coming from? A knock at his bedroom door shook him from his reverie. 

"Who is it?" He called, voice impassive, as usual. 

"Sir," came the hesitant voice of one of his men, "We have found four bodies in the perimeter of the island." 

Pegasus blinked in consternation, "Excuse me?"

"Sir, four bodies were found in the forest."

"Dead?"

The man looked uncomfortable, "No not dead, but seemingly in a coma. Mindless."

"I know the symptoms of a coma," the silver haired man snapped, "Who are they?"

"Uh they were, Honda Hiroto, Mazaki Anzu, Jounouchi Katsuya, and Motou Yuugi."

Pegasus stood up, nearly giving himself a blood rush and having to sit back down. "Yuugi was one of them? No! How? Who is responsible for this?" 

The man stepped back at his employer's outburst, clearly surprised, even behind his dark glasses. 

"They- they don't know as of yet, sir." 

"Well, find out!" snarled Pegasus, his mood already sour. "What do I pay you for? Go! And get some medical help for Motou and the others." 

"Yes sir." 

The man retreated, glad to escape the morning wrath of Pegasus. 

Back in his chambers, the said rich man sat back down on his bed, already lost in thought. So that was the feeling! He hadn't needed to ask his servant if the Sennen Puzzle was still on Yuugi's person. He knew it had been stolen. But by who? Who else knew of their power? 

He sighed and rubbed his forehead again. He couldn't be expected to worry when he had just woken up. He'd give it a few hours, maybe after breakfast he could return to the predicament. With a yawn he stood again and headed for his dressing room. Later. He would think later. 

~*~*~

****

TBC


End file.
